Support strong Canadian climate journalism for 2025
The city of New Westminster has reiterated its opposition to the Trans Mountain pipeline over concerns the line, which crosses the Fraser River, would have catastrophic effects on people and wildlife in the event of a spill.
Earlier this month, city council voted 4-2 on a motion to convey its concerns in a letter to the Canada Energy Regulator.
“A lot of this motion was getting our opposition on the record,” Coun. Nadine Nakagawa told Canada’s National Observer in a phone interview.
Nakagawa’s motion was supported by Mayor Patrick Johnstone, Coun. Ruby Campbell and Coun. Tasha Henderson. The two opposed were Coun. Daniel Fontaine and Coun. Paul Minhas. Minhas and Fontaine did not respond to requests for comment by deadline.
The July 19 letter to the regulator highlights "concerns about the structural safety of the TMX pipeline crossing of the Fraser River from Surrey to Coquitlam, B.C."
If an oil spill occurred, it “would be catastrophic,” both for the Fraser River ecosystem — including spawning salmon — and the community’s well-being, said Nakagawa.
“The city of New Westminster is built on the shores of the Fraser River. It is a historic gathering place for First Nations, it is the focal point of our community.”
She says the “basis of the motion is just to speak up against it every chance that we get.”
The City of New Westminster has stood firm in its opposition to the Trans Mountain pipeline expansion (TMX) over the years. The city was an intervenor throughout the National Energy Board’s approval process for TMX in 2015, and has characterized that process as “flawed” in press releases. In 2020, the city issued a statement of support for land defenders peacefully protesting the project, and council constantly raises concerns that the TMX project is at odds with Canada’s global climate commitments.
“We have to be consistent in the way that we approach the climate crisis,” said Nakagawa, adding Canada can’t meet its climate targets while building pipelines. At a city council level, she says it’s common for people to say “I support that, but” or “I disagree with that, but.” To her, “you either agree with Trans Mountain as a concept, or you do not,” and if you do, “we can’t pretend that we care about climate and environment impacts.”
Not everyone on city council agrees with Nakagawa on the issue.
“The pipeline is almost built. None of it is going through our jurisdiction,” said Fontaine, one of two councillors who voted against the motion, the New Westminster Record reported. “As was noted previously, we don’t really have any influence; this motion can pass or not pass. It will mean absolutely nothing. It really is symbolic.”
While the project doesn’t go through New Westminster's jurisdiction, council has pointed out on many occasions that the pipeline will run through the Brunette River watershed and adjacent to the Fraser River.
Nakagawa says voicing the council's opposition firmly on the record is important, as is working in solidarity with First Nations who have opposed the project. The Squamish Nation, Coldwater Indian Band and Tsleil-Waututh Nation tried, unsuccessfully, to challenge the project’s approval in court, and the Tsleil-Waututh Nation is currently involved in a regulatory dispute regarding the increased tolls Trans Mountain wants to charge oil producers to use the expanded pipeline system.
“In years to come, they might say, ‘Well, nobody opposed it’ … so I think continuing to speak up and say we don't consent to this, we don't agree to this, we don't want it, is really, really important even if it's not going to change the federal government's decision to keep pushing this forward,” said Nakagawa.
If there does happen to be a spill, voicing their opposition will be a cold comfort, she said, but insists “we just have to continue to talk about the fact that pipelines do spill (and) they have devastating impacts on communities.”
Natasha Bulowski / Local Journalism Initiative / Canada’s National Observer
Comments
What a fantastic bold effort on the part of the New Westminster city council!!! The proposal should have had a unanimous vote, though. In general, people MUST get up to speed with the concept that says "if you don't speak up or support the best effort, you MUST count yourself among the proponents of a bad idea!!" It's no secret that the city of Burnaby did a lot of campaigning against the TMX, to the point of litigation, with negative results. However, in light of this year's climate disasters worldwide, and the sinking support for the federal government's lack of sustainable climate policies, there seems to be a good chance to change the plans for TMX progress.
So SPEAK UP, people!!!
Until recently, the city of Burnaby right next door was leading the opposition to TMX. They landed in the kangaroo court of the NEB, precursor to the CER, accused of "holding up municipal permits" on TMX, an accusation which was shot down with Burnaby's 39-page affidavit submitted to the oil-saturated NEB board that proved it was TMX that stood in the way of the permits by acting in bad faith, while Burnaby went out of its way to accommodate the applications because that was what its bylaws required. That affidavit quickly shut up even the pro-oil editorial board of the Calgary Herald that was parroting the "blame Burnaby" narrative without one querry directed to the sources.
Former mayor Derrick Corrigan and the majority on his council are to be commended for their opposition, but also for drawing the line on the legal requirements for all permit applicants and the city processing of said applications to be treated fairly, from tower developers to permits to build a small private garage and a major industrial project. Stop processing legitimate permit applications, no matter how incomplete and flawed they are, and you'll get sued.
Concurrently, Burnaby acted as an intervenor in the BC Supreme Court then Canada Supreme Court cases lodged against TMX by the BNC NDP government. They joined the city of Vancouver and several First Nations on the case, but I don't ever recall New Westminster applied as an intervenor. At least they have now finally found their voice. The case against TMX was lost based solely on the fact the feds have jurisdiction over their own projects and have the right to cross provincial boundaries. So much for Indigenous and environmental concerns, let alone economic legitimacy.
Today, current Burnaby mayor Mike Hurly and the majority on council don't seem to be concerned enough to raise a big fuss, but that concern is somewhat mollified by his previous anti-TMX comments and his concerns over the lax safety standards TMX tried to employ in its tank farm fire safety protocols and design. It should be different because it's Burnaby, after all, where the pipe terminates, where 21 massive storage tanks are perched above residential communities, and where the marine tanker terminal lies. So far, the Burnaby Fire Dept. has stated it will not even attempt to put a tank farm fire out, but will do everything in its power to protect residents, which may actually require a mass evacuation of all residents within a 5-km radius of a raging fire and plumes of highly poisonous smoke. You're looking at about 100,000 people in North Burnaby, East Vancouver, New West and North Vancouver.
The other unspoken fact is that Jagmeet Singh's riding is in Burnaby South. Think about that in the context of his backing the pipeline-building Libs in the current minority parliament.
It now seems impossible to stop the new Trans Mountain Pipeline unfortunately. Since this pipe twins a seventy year old smaller pipeline, I would propose a push to decommission the old pipe.